Resto pre-raid gear

Update: added EoV, EoC, and EoT items, and Trial of the Champion normal/heroic. For brevity, I am listing Alliance versions of items, rather than doubling the number of added items with Horde-named versions, so Horde druids will need to take that into account - specifically, Malfurion's vs Runetotem's T9-232 set items.

Note: at this time I do not include cloth in this list, but cloth pieces are well worth picking up for a resto druid just beginning to gear up. My thought was that this list serves as a shopping list - things that you're especially going out of your way to get. For instance, EoT items are listed here because you can get two a day from the daily heroic.

I can tell you that after I get in some raid experience. In general, the expectation is that you can start doing raids once you have ilevel 187 blues in each slot, a little more or a little less won't hurt.

Leatherworkers can produce a full set of armor (Overcast) provided you have a large supply of leather and eternal water. There's a little wasted itemization on resilience of course. In addition, if you're willing to spend a little more on the frozen orbs and eternal water and life required, high-level leatherworkers can produce epic legs and boots, plus you can pick up a variety of BOE pieces from the AH. It's never been so easy to prepare for raids, provided you have money.

It's actually a reasonably good resto piece, if you look at the stats, more or less on par with the healing badge neck. From memory, you lose a bit of in combat regen and 0.74% crit in return for more healing and a chunk of spirit. It's not as ridiculous a choice as it seems, with the small benefit of being a good offset piece.

[edit] If the hit rating was removed entirely without changing the stats, it'd be on the list as an option as it's barely different from the other badge neck. Throwing on your blinkers just because it has some hit on it doesn't contribute to the discussion. [/edit]

It's actually a reasonably good resto piece, if you look at the stats, more or less on par with the healing badge neck. From memory, you lose a bit of in combat regen and 0.74% crit in return for more healing and a chunk of spirit. It's not as ridiculous a choice as it seems, with the small benefit of being a good offset piece.

Honestly, I have to disagree. The item is pretty comparable to blue gear pieces that drop from heroics, such as . I could understand getting an epic item with hit if it comes between DEing/vendoring and equipping, or if it comes from a faction vendor that you just happen to have high rep with, but for an item that costs badges, it seems like an awful waste.

Honestly, I have to disagree. The item is pretty comparable to blue gear pieces that drop from heroics, such as . I could understand getting an epic item with hit if it comes between DEing/vendoring and equipping, or if it comes from a faction vendor that you just happen to have high rep with, but for an item that costs badges, it seems like an awful waste.

The sheer amount of badges one gets right now if they try is what puts the item on the list for me. My first day of turning 80 I retired with something akin to 32 badges just from that night. If you wish to avoid buying your tier gear (since it will drop) there's truly a lack of things to buy. Even avoiding it I've now got most of my moonkin, resto, and feral badge gear and am back up to almost 60 badges.

So yes, while it does come from badges its badges that are amazingly simple to get, and with limited other returns.

I also opted for the cloth badge belt. I know mp5 is generally not a great stat for the item budget, but I'd rather have a little of it when it comes with a little more spirit and by eliminating crit rating, which I care even less about. I'm not sure if Tuftears wants to add cloth to his list though. If so, I'd be happy to suggest some cloth items from heroics I've picked up that are comparable to, and in some cases better than, the leather alternatives.

The is pretty nice. It certainly doesn't have anything on the OO5SR regen on , but the I5SR regen is better, it has more spellpower, and more secondary stats. I ended up having it made because it's a guaranteed equivalent-ish piece of gear, and it got a friend a point in tailoring.

I have saved up this item in my bank for raid use . In Wowhead there is some debate on how its obtained but I'm pretty sure I received it as a quest reward (ally side). I tested it solo and works pretty decent. 222 spirit proc and solid 50 SP is nothing to sneer at and together with our old it promises to solve a lot of mana problems. Since alchemy trinket is not very useful anymore, solid mp5 or such spirit on proc or use trinkets look more promising, as they can be used or they can proc more than once in any given fight, giving a more mana value than %40 more mana on a single pot. I thought you might add it to pre-raid gear.
Also another good item is . Its pretty solid with 46 int and spellpower bonus and easily available as a quest reward.

I have saved up this item in my bank for raid use . In Wowhead there is some debate on how its obtained but I'm pretty sure I received it as a quest reward (ally side). I tested it solo and works pretty decent. 222 spirit proc and solid 50 SP is nothing to sneer at and together with our old it promises to solve a lot of mana problems. Since alchemy trinket is not very useful anymore, solid mp5 or such spirit on proc or use trinkets look more promising, as they can be used or they can proc more than once in any given fight, giving a more mana value than %40 more mana on a single pot. I thought you might add it to pre-raid gear. Also another good item is . Its pretty solid with 46 int and spellpower bonus and easily available as a quest reward.

Just wait until you get and the spirit version of . That's a peak of 810 spirit if you were curious.

I made a wowhead filter that I think covers all the weapons we would be rolling on. I made some assumptions because I don't remember, but I don't think druids can wear polearms or swords and can wear fist weapons. These are Non-pvp non-hit rating items that are rare or better. I also removed anything with resilience on it. The hateful stuff pops up as pve since it can be obtained through badges.

Will be about the easiest to get when you're considering time invested / RNG / quality of the piece

Its only 6 saronite bars, 6 titansteel bars, and 2 frozen orbs. Seems pretty reasonable to me, and what you lack in spirit and mp5 on the item is more than made up for by the 490 spell damage. Unless of course you're one of those lucky enough to be farming Kel'Thuzad on heroic mode already

I'm wondering this one as well. The cloth one has MP5, More spirit. The Leather belt appears poorly itemized for both Resto and Boomkin. I'm at a loss as to why someone would recommend the leather one over the cloth one. Am I missing something here?

Also, how does compare? Lack of spirit, but the rest of the stats appear very competitive to the chest items you have listed.

The Kirin Tor chest is surprisingly good. I'd rate it over the rest on the list up to the T7 one, though the heroic UP one on the list is very good. With two in the T7.10 chest, have the 11 less spell power (due to the spirit on T7), same haste, 9 more int, and 26 mp5 vs. 85 spirit on the T7 piece. I actually hadn't realized they were so close until now, and as much as I'd rather have 85 spirit than 26 mp5, I think I'll wait on the drop instead of blowing 80 badges on such a marginal upgrade.